I fished the Toyota Texas Bass Classic this past week and ended up in 10th place. While I’m never satisfied with anything less than a win, I’ve got to keep in perspective that a 10th place showing is always good, especially against the caliber of anglers that were there.

But congratulations to Keith Combs for notching his first big win. I’ve got to know Keith over the past few years, and I appreciate him a whole lot. He’s one of the guys who has volunteered his time to come and help me with my charity event. That tells you a lot about the kind of person he is. He’s also a name that I think you’ll be hearing a lot about in the future. Of all the young guns on the tour, Keith is one of the ones who is not going away any time soon. Congratulations also go to Ike; this is the second year he’s finished 2nd there. He continues to fish at a very high level.

That tournament was my first time on Lake Conroe. The fact that I earned 10th spot helps my confidence and helps me realize that the plans that I’m developing are going to put me in contention going into the Bassmaster Classic in February. Momentum is a powerful thing in our sport, and I don’t know why. It just seems like having a good event breeds another good event. The same thing can be said about having bad events. The fact that I didn’t do very well at the end of the Elite Series had me in a funk, but hopefully this broke it. It’s great to feel like you’re riding the bike again.

I’ve got a little bit more fishing planned. I’m actually going to be fishing a tournament at Lake Amistad this week, and then I’ll begin to spend lots of good time with family throughout the holiday season.

I got an interesting call this past week from my wife, Jimmye Sue. She called and said that the living room was flooded! We’ve had droughts in Texas, so it wasn’t the kind of flood I was hoping for. We had an air conditioner leak, and it destroyed the hardwood floors in our dining room and ran out into the living room. We’ve got workers there today who are tearing out the floors, so we’re beginning that process. On the upside, it’ll be nice to have a change of scenery with some new and different flooring.

My girls are in a transition, also. They’re going from volleyball to basketball. If you were to rating both of them, they’d both be in contention for Most Improved Player. They’ve gotten pretty good, actually. There is some athleticism on my wife’s side of the family, but the Joneses are sort of lacking there. They’ve been a lot of fun to watch this year, and I’m very proud of them both.

Oh, it was heartbreaking watching the Texas Rangers lose the World Series to St. Louis, especially where we had them to within one strike of ending it — twice! That sort of reminds me of fishing; sometimes it seems that the most improbable outcomes are the ones that come to pass. As long as you’ve got a lure in the water you’ve got a chance!